Plattsburgh-based Mountain Lakes PBS says its signal was knocked off the air Tuesday night when lightning struck its transmitter on Lyon Mountain in Dannemora, near the Canadian border. Another bolt around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday struck the transformers that power the broadcast tower, causing them to catch fire.

Mountain Lakes officials say the station remains off the air Thursday. They say repair crews have been unable to reach the transmitter because recent heavy rains have made trails inaccessible.

Mountain Lakes programming is being broadcast on local cable TV stations.

The PBS affiliate's viewership extends across the North Country and into Vermont, Quebec and Ontario.